City Council green-lit funding for the future of youth activities beyond the classroom on Tuesday evening, agreeing to inject $1.9 million into after-school programs across four school districts for the Fiscal Year 2025. Fort Worth, Keller, Crowley, and White Settlement districts are all set to benefit from this move, as they will have designated campuses carrying out after-school programs thanks to these recent approvals.
Discussions over funding youth programs are always of keen interest to the community, considering the hours of 3-6 p.m. on school days have been identified by national research as a peak time for adolescents to either fall victim to or engage in criminal activities. Addressing the need for constructive after-school engagement, Fort Worth has kept its tradition, since 2001, of backing such initiatives with funds from the Crime Control & Prevention District (CCPD), as noted by the City of Fort Worth.
With a multidisciplinary task force's wisdom that took shape in 2001, which included City officials, school district personnel, and service providers, a program specially tailored for Fort Worth ISD schools was developed. Tackling juvenile crime with persistence, this task force's coordinated program also documented the times when youth were most vulnerable to falling into the wrong hands. Thankfully, year after year, the CCPD funds have snuggly fitted to support after-school programs, with the inclusion of the Keller, Crowley, and White Settlement ISD over time.
According to the City of Fort Worth, under the stipulated agreement, each district will be laying out measurable goals and objectives to ensure their after-school initiatives deliver tangible results, shouldering the responsibility for the day-to-day operation of their respective programs. The overarching mission remains staunch, providing adolescents with a haven that encourages education, health, and camaraderie, with the indirect but vital aim of slashing the rates of juvenile crime.
The allocation of funds has been outlined to each district for FY25, with reimbursement agreements in place. Fort Worth ISD is looking at up to $1,554,800, Keller ISD and Crowley ISD at $149,500 each, and White Settlement ISD obtains a slice of the pie as well, receiving up to $57,500.
